Transcripts For KCSM Democracy Now 20141017

Sheriffs deputies were guilty of Excessive Force, leading to the death of marvin lewis booker. All marvin wanted to do was get his shoes. Police brutality cases this week, a federal jury awarded an historic 4. 6 million to the family of a homeless preacher. Marvin booker was in a denver ail when he was grabbed by deputy, piled on by a team of officers who handcuffed him, put him in a chokehold, and tasered and. He died. Then, the Colorado Senate race could control that determine who controls congress. Cory gardner and mark udall are neck and neck in the polls. You voted with barack obama 99 of the time, 107 out of 108. For someonegumption who had the tent most partisan record in the house of representatives to continue to make that charge. We will look at the senate race another key issues fracking, immigration, and more, with mike litwin, veteran denver post political analyst who now writes for the Colorado Independent. All that and more coming up. Welcome the official told molly and the ivory coast are the most vulnerable. We have identified the ivory coast and mali. 18 is going to do a thorough assessment. It is moving from an assessment to making sure that things are in place. Jamaica has become the latest country to impose a travel ban on passengers from liberia, guinea, and sierra leone. Here in the united states, president obama continues to oppose a travel ban but now says he wont rule one out. Obama spoke at the White House White house thursday night. A flatout travel ban is not the way to go. We will monitor this. I am asking these questions. If in fact it turns out i am getting different answers, i will share that with the American People and we will not hesitate to do what is necessary to maximize th chances that we avoid an outbreak in the united states. Obama comments, president also said he is considering the czar toent of an ebola handle the overall u. S. Response. Concern around ebola has grown nationwide following the infections of two dallas nurses who treated thomas eric duncan, the Liberian National who died last week in dallas. On thursday, the chief clinician at the nurses hospital, doctor daniel varga of texas health presbyterian, apologized to congress for the mishandling of duncans care. Despite the best intentions and a highly skilled medical team, we made mistakes. We did not correctly diagnose his symptoms as those of ebola and we are deeply sorry. On thursday, the first nurse to be infected, texas health presbyterian, nina pham, was flown to maryland for treatment. The second nurse, amber vinson, was transferred on wednesday to Emory University in atlanta, georgia leaving no more ebola , patients in dallas. The u. S. Led coalition is in its third day of heavy strikes on Islamic State fighters around the syrian town of kobani. Isis had been on the verge of seizing kobani, but the pentagon claims its slowed the offensive by killing hundreds of fighters. At a briefing in washington, pentagon spokesperson john kirby said the u. S. Led bombings have used precise targeting. Forces conducted 14 airstrikes yesterday and today. Initial reports indicate those strikes successfully hit 19 buildings, two command posts, three fighting positions, three sniper positions, one staging location, and one heavy machine gun very precise targeting eric according to the associated press, syrian kurds have asked for a direct supply of weapons, saying the airstrikes are not enough to stop the advance. The Obama Administration meanwhile says it continues to hold talks with turkey on hosting usled forces. The u. S. Was forced to walk back an initial claim last week that turkey had authorized the basis for coalition use. The talks, as the state department has confirmed it has for the first time with the main kurdish Political Party in syria, the Kurdish Democratic union party, or pyd. The pyd has close ties to the pkk, the militant Kurdish Group in turkey that Turkish Forces bombed earlier this week. At least 36 people have been killed and more than 100 wounded in a series of bombings in shiite areas of the iraqi capital of baghdad. Shiite leaders have blamed the attack on the Islamic State. In israel and the occupied territories, Israeli Forces have shot dead a palestinian boy in the village of beit liqya. The victim, thirteenyear old bahaa badr, was reportedly shot after a group of youths threw stones at Israeli Forces who had entered near the israeli separation wall that carves up the occupied west bank. Israel says it responded with live fire against a illegal right. According to the defense for ldren, troops have according to defense for children international, israeli troops and settlers have shot dead at least 10 children in the west bank this year. Thats on top of the more than 500 children killed in israels assault on gaza over the summer. The u. N. General assembly has elected venezuela as among the five new nonpermanent Security Council members for 20152016. Venezuelas bid drew 181 votes from the 193member general assembly. The Bush Administration helped defeat venezuelas last bid for the Security Council in 2006 after thenpresident hugo chavez pledged to be the voice of the south and challenge american dominance. This time, the Obama Administration did not say how it voted in the secret ballot. But in a statement, un ambassador Samantha Power said quote unfortunately, venezuelas conduct at the un has run counter to the spirit of the un charter and its violations of human rights at home are at odds with the charters letter. The venezuelan government praised its winning bid as a huge triumph over a malign campaign against our country. The councils other new members are new zealand, spain, angola and malaysia. New figures show claims for Unemployment Benefits have 264,000, a 14year low. The official Unemployment Rate is at 5. 9 . The Obama Administration has named a new acting head for the civil rights justice departments civil rights division. Vanita gupta will take up the position after serving as legal director for the American Civil Liberties union, where she developed a reputation as a champion for human rights. Gupta will be appointed temporarily and formally nominated for the position by the end of the year. She was tapped to replace president obamas initial choice, debo adegbile, who was forced to withdraw earlier this year. The senate rejected adegbile following a fight that focused almost solely on his role as part of an Naacp Legal Defense Fund team that successfully argued a trial judges jury instructions violated the rights of journalist and former black panther Mumia Abujamal in his conviction for the killing of a Philadelphia Police officer. In a new case of political attribution, pennsylvania lawmakers have approved a measure that critics say tramples freespeech. The measure authorizes censoring the public addresses of prisoners or former offenders should judges allow that agree that allowing them to speak would cause damage to the victims. The measure was approved after a pretaped commencement address earlier this month. The speech was opposed by the Pennsylvania State officials as well as the widow of daniel faulkner, the Police Officer who he was convicted of killing. Cicilline governor tom corbett is expected to sign the measure into law. The American Civil Liberties union of pennsylvania has itticized the law, calling overbroad, vague, and unable to muster constitutional. The younger son of Vice President joe biden has been discharged from the navy reserve after testing positive for cocaine. The navy says it took action earlier this year after hunter biden failed a drug test in june 2013. In a statement, biden said he has deep regret and embarrassment over his actions and is moving forward with the love and support of my family. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. We are on the road in denver colorado, broadcasting from the studios of the open Media Foundation denver open media. Denver has been plagued by a string of Police Brutality cases, and this week a federal jury awarded a historic 4. 6 million to the family of a homeless preacher who sheriffs deputies used Excessive Force against him. Marvin booker was a homeless street preacher from a prominent family of southern preachers. In 2010, he was killed by deputies in the booking room of the denver jail. Surveillance video of bookers death shows what happened. A warning to our tv viewers as we show the video now it contains disturbing content. It shows Marvin Booker being grabbed by an officer, then piled on by a team of officers who then restrain him in handcuffs, and put him in a chokehold. After he appears motionless, he is then tasered. Eventually deputies carry him out of sight of the camera. Booker was pronounced dead hours later in what the coroner ruled a homicide. Prosecutors declined to charge the deputies involved, and Sheriffs Department officials never disciplined them, saying they believed booker could harm someone and that force was needed to restrain him. On tuesday, bookers family and supporters gathered on the steps of denvers city jail after a jury awarded the booker family 4. 65 million in compensation and damages. This is reverend timothy tyler, pastor at Shorter Community ame church in denver. Law, ay in the court of , a body ofup authority stood up for the first and declaredyears that five sheriffs deputies force,ilty of excessive leading to the death of marvin lewis booker. All marvin wanted to do was get his shoes. Marvin bookers Case Highlights a history of misconduct by the denver Sheriffs Department, and added momentum to calls for reform. This is the attorney for Marvin Bookers family, darold killmer, speaking after tuesdays verdict. This was not unforeseeable. This was inevitable. This is the way we have allowed jails to be run, and too many people could have been injured and killed. Washed has been watched nationally and it should be. This happens in colorado, missouri, new york, california, texas, florida. That peoplegnal will not put up with it anymore. This is the people telling government that it has to change. This issue has reached a tipping point. The verdict comes amidst for a federal investigation of the Sheriff Department of several cases of abuse. In july, sheriff gary wilson resigned after denver agreed to pay 3. 3 million to settle another federal jailabuse lawsuit by a former inmate over a beating. It was the largest payout in city history to settle a civil rights case, until the booker case which the city refused to settle. This is denver mayor Michael Hancock responded to the verdict in an interview with news 9. Is a loss of life, a tragedy. This family lost a loved one. The whole city has had to deal with this. We are disappointed in the amount of the verdict, and it does not replace the life of Marvin Booker. We understand that. Democracy now invited the mayor to join us on the program, but his office did not respond to our request. For more were joined by two guests. Reverend Reginald Holmes is pastor of the new Covenant Christian Church alpha and omega ministries. He has been a leading voice calling for Law Enforcement accountability in this case and others in denver. He is past president of the greater metro denver ministerial alliance. And susan greene is editor of the Colorado Independent. She is a longtime reporter and columnist, formerly with the denver post. Shes followed the case of Marvin Booker extensively, along with numerous other cases of Excessive Force at the denver jail. Pastor holmes, susan greene, welcome to democracy now holmes, lets begin with you. Your response with a settlement that will go to the family . Havent spoken to the family, one of the things they wanted having spoke to the family, one of the things they wanted to be clear that they are grateful about, they are happy this has come to a conclusion, that they did not want those in denver to believe the money is a panacea for their pain. They are adamant about what they want from this city and they want those officers removed from those positions. They have been clear on that that the family i spoke with one of the things that calvin said was that he wants the the familyo know forgives the officers, but in but inng the officers forgiving they do not want the officers not to deal with the consequences of their actions. Werew many officers involved . I believe there was a total of five officers involved. The listeners and viewers have seen the video. This is not a hightech lynching. It was a vigilante lynching. It was sanctioned and supported by this city government. Sanctioned and supported all the way up and until the trial. Listeners and people all over the world, and those who perhaps have seen this for the first time, can you explain exactly what happened . Explain the date, and although i laid it out of bit in the lead, talk about what happened to Marvin Booker. In july of 2010, marvin was arrested. He was in the booking area, getting ready to be processed. He had stayed in the booking area for some hours or i do not know exactly how many, but he had remained for a while. When they finally got around to booking marvin, he had taken off his shoes, he had become comfortable. They finally got to him, they called him to the booking desk, which was manned up the time by a female. You see this on the video. Desk,goes to the booking has a conversation with the booking officer, finally she says to marvin it is time for cell. Go into the he says before i go i need to get my shoes. As he goes she says no. She physically touches marvin on the arm, and marvin pulls away. When he pulls away, that created the altercation. Officers came from everywhere. Video, you can see they pounced on top of him. He was 135 pounds with existing medical conditions. He had a 250 pound officer along with others on top of him. Marvin pound officer put in a choke hold that was held on minutes. Quick steaming the carotid artery. The carotid artery. Officers testified they felt threatened. Man. Of them on a 135pound they felt threatened, and they were threatened so much that even with the carotid chokehold being applied, someone ordered him to be taste. They actually took the time to go get a taser, and come back and pays them. His body is live he has no here it is not that he is resisting. He is handcuffed. He is doing what anyone would do guessing for air, trying to get his last breath. Determined he was struggling. They are notm given the decency of checking up on him. When it comes to they did not give him the decency of checking up on him, and when the medical examiners get there, of course, he is dead. . What did they do then from the testimony in court, any of the officers, actually four of when outside, smoke ,igarettes, and we are assuming although they did not admit, that it was a time for them to cooperate their stories. The medical people came in, came in, took marvin in, but he was doa, dead on arrival. Greene of the Colorado Independent, you wrote that the verdict put an exclamation point on what leaders have long way have long said, they killed the wrong man. Explain what you mean. I mean that on several heels, in part because of a he posed no threat. Very minimal. At the time he was motionless. Those facts make him the wrong man. Another thing, there is an booker thaty marvin he was another homeless guy causing trouble in a jail. What they did not calculate is homeless guy had a rich history in his hometown in memphis where he became really wellknown, not just in memphis, but throughout the south for having memorized Martin Luther kings speech as his family was close to Martin Luther king. He was 14 when Martin Luther king was shot in his community. Verb agents, he was verbatim, he would engine these speeches. He would go into churches and civil rights events and give the speeches that king would not give. He has two brothers who have congregations. They followed in the footsteps of their father. He chose a different path. He wanted to preach on the street, like you said jesus did. He was not a saint. Had some drug problems like he said jesus did. He was not a saint. He had some drug problems. His family tried to help him. He was adamant that that was the life he wanted to live. When he died i was here when he died, and i know what the City Response was, and i heard the response at trial this guy had no value, he was a nothing. For said in they sat three weeks in trial and denigrated him. When did the trial take place . Place for three weeks and it ended friday. It was years later. Four years later. They did not know this man had a community of people in this city nationally in the Faith Community who were behind him. I want to read from the 10th circuit one of appeals ruling on the officers treatment of Marvin Booker. The defendant had a front row and actively participated in producing mr. Booker condition. That quotedded given their training, the defendants were in a position to know of a substantial risk to mr. Bookers health and safety. Because mr. Booker was handcuffed and on his stomach, we conclude the force was not proportional to the need presented. Reverend holmes, take it from there. Pleased we were when the 10th Circuit Court came and said that the officers were indeed liable for using Excessive Force. This is a situation that is happening here, in denver, but as well you well know, it is happening all over this country. Police officers are the only people that we give a free pass when they exercise a lapse in judgment. I do not think we can continue to do that. We must hold them accountable. Yes, it is a dangerous job, but you know it is a dangerous job when you take the job. We do not give the mechanic a free pass for a lapse in judgment. We do not give the surgeon a free pass when there is a lapse in judgment. We continue, throughout this country District Attorneys, continue to give Police Officers free passes for their lapse in judgment. We have to break, but when we come back, by four years why did it take four years, for the settlement, and also the other cases here in the denver area. We are talking to reverend Reginald Holmes, and the editor of the Colorado Independent. Now,is democracy democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. We will be back in a minute in denver. [music break] boddington there bear on this is democracy now, democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. From denver,asting colorado, where the largest case has come down, 4. 6 million to the family of Marvin Booker who was killed in july, 2010 in the booking room of a denver jail. We are joined by susan greene and reverend Reginald Holmes. He is past president of the greater metro denver ministerial alliance. So, if you can explain this, reverend, the largest jury verdict this was not a settlement. There were larger settlements in the 4. 6 million. . Ho were the defendants here the defendants were actually the city and the county of denver, and the individual officers who perpetrated this crime. But it is a civil case, so they do not go to jail. It is a civil case, and they do not go to jail. That is what is grating on the family right now. Even though they have the financial payment, they are still feeling empty because they are feeling as though these officers were not punished for marvin. Susan greene, these officers were never indicted . Now, the denver District Attorney who prosecuted people for crimes that are so much less significant than this just decided not to prosecute on this at all. The bookerrt of what family is speaking out on. They are criticizing the denver da, a man who was supposed to be the independent monitor of the safety department, whose independence is highly question because he never really said anything about this case at all. They found the city guilty of and the officers Excessive Force, supervisor key term,gence, and a which is excessive zeal, that the officers used zeal in killing Marvin Booker. What is important is the word zeal because it was not just the zeal of the officers, but the zeal of the city in producing this pursuing this course, import. Deciding to defend what was not defendable. If your viewers saw that video and for people listening to this on radio, that is a blackandwhite video of Sheriff Deputies killing a man. Is decide to did go this course, this fouryearlong course in which in whichheld evidence but liedaid witnesses in defense of this murder. The rules of governor hickenlooper, who was mayor at the time. Exactly, he was mayor, and he did what any decent human being and politician would do, he met with the family, expressed his remorse and killing grief. He did not express guilt or culpability because it was in litigation, but he interfaced with them. Deserved recognition. He was running for mayor at that point. He is the second black mayor denver. He is the second black mayor. John hickenlooper is the governor. When hancock was running, and abi da decided not to and he comes out of a Faith Community that was tied to booker. He was satisfied. If you watch the details and the holes in the investigation, it is hard to see how you could be satisfied with it. Pastor homes, your response to how the city dealt with this, how the mayor dealt with this . We are all disappointed, very mayor,inted, not just as but he came up through the ranks. He was a city council person, made promises to us because in all fairness to him, many of these problems existed before he got there. Office, heto the made serious pledges that things would be different. Disappointed. We do not see that difference. , it is disingenuous of our community when we would hold white politicians accountable but somehow give black politicians a free ride in that we dont speak out, say anything. It becomes ok for things to condition continue as usual. , theis is all happening jury was weighing this, the trial was going on in the midst of what was happening in missouri. There is a grand jury, your thoughts when dealing with both of these cases. Unarmedilling of the teenager . My thoughts were that this was happening at an alarming rate all over this nation. I think it is great that you all are here in denver because i think sometimes denver gets this pristine view from the rest of the world that it is the mile high city with snowcapped mountains, but this is a very corrupt administration. It is a corrupt Law Enforcement. If you knew what they did in this trial, you would be appalled, from losing the taser, which would have Given Community and the court some idea of how long the taser was applied. Extensively under the John Hickenlooper John Hickenlooper administration. I was part of the campaign to build a new stateoftheart detention facility. They get into court to tell us it was brandnew in 2010, only months and it months old facility came in court and it was discovered that some of the videos in nixonian fashion, some of the videos have been darkened, they gave out. We knew the videos were a problem, but we never got around to fixing them. Who does that . That is the equivalent of you saying to me, you go buy a new car, you drive it off the lot, and the headlights do not work, but you do not take it i can say i need to get my headlights fixed because i cannot really drive in the dark. So, what happens is they want to convince us that they have this new stateoftheart facility, and the video cameras that not work. They were perfectly ok with the cameras not working, and they use that im a conveniently, to be able to they use that, conveniently, to be able to say those videos would have shown, without a shadow of a doubt, more clarity to the brutality. And the taser is missing. The taser is missing, the cameras do not work, and this brandnew facility no one makes a report, no one tells their superiors from the Sheriffs Department exactly what is going on with the. Ameras, the pacers the tasers. The reports are incomplete. The shares to not investigate the incident from within the share of student not investigate the incident from within. The chief of Police Robert white is black. That is right. The sheriff is black, the mayor is black. What happened to the sheriff here . Supposedly, it was a mutual agreement that he step down. I want to get to a few other cases quickly because we want to talk about what is happening in the state with National Politics , though this plays into National Politics. Another video the Colorado Independent obtained shows officers using extensive force against prisoner Isaiah Moreno in 2013. After he was placed in solitary confinement for exhibiting suicidal behavior, footage shows moreno pacing his cell and banging his head against the wall. A team of eight officers then enter the cell. Two officers hold taser guns pointed at him, even though he is sitting down and does not appear to threaten them. When they fire the tasers, he slumps to the floor. They then strap him into a restraint chair and leave him alone in the cell. An investigation by denvers internal Affairs Bureau found the sergeant in charge violated use of force policies when he ordered the two deputies to taser moreno. The report reads in part, quote simply stated, there was no need to use the taser to gain compliance. Explained what happened. They say he presented a threat. He was in a single cell room with almost no clothes on. He had no way of hurting anyone they felt they needed to taser him. This happened in a courtroom months earlier. A man was handcuffed, fully shackled at his feet, testifying. Out of the blue, we had a video of this, the sheriffs deputy just slams him into a wall. In the courtroom. In the courtroom. In the courtroom, in front of the judge. In the courtroom, and what is relevant is the explanation for it is he was tripping and we were helping him up. You about another case, the excessive use of force by the vendors Sheriffs Department. By the denver Sheriffs Department. This is a video of a prisoner, anthony waller. After a judge reads a list of charges, a sheriffs deputy slams him into a wall when he responds. The investigation for false imprisonment, assault in the third degree, a salt as class two felony, and a misdemeanor , and possession of drug paraphernalia. Sir. Ank you, i would like to object first. Investigation, i thought the investigation came first, and then the arrest. Get on your feet get on your feet. You do not turn on me. Get on your feet. Get on your feet. Can you explain what this the sheriff about foot out becher flipped out on him without provocation, the sheriff flipped out on him. Judge said nothing. He was fully shackled, hands shackled, feet shackled, and he was slammed into a wall, and the explanation again was that he tripped and he tried to help him up. Of theout the diligence Colorado Independent uncovering the videos, the tragedy is the community would have never known that these kinds of things were going on, it is out of control here in denver. It is out of control here, and we do not want people to get the wrong impression of our city. Some serious issues with Law Enforcement. I think it starts with our District Attorney. It starts with the mayor, the entire administration. These things happen. They hide them, they do not say anything about them, and it has to stop. We are going to leave it there, but we certainly will continue to investigate. We will follow your investigations. I will end again with the first sentence summarizing from susan greene peace on what happened a federal jury delivering what might be the costliest case yet. The jury award to martin buchers Marvin Booker family came after they found him excessively restraining Marvin Booker. Been pastors have retinal homes and susan greene pastor Reginald Holmes, and senator that and susan greene. When we come back, this state can determine the state of the congress in november. We will speak to a veteran politil reporter. Stay with us. [music break] be careful how you vote. We are broadcasting from the studios of the open Media Foundation denver open media, in denver, colorado, where a Key Senate Race has become one of the nations most closely watched contests. Republican candidate cory gardner and democratic incumbent mark udall are neckandneck in the polls. The Rocky Mountain States Gardner is a twoterm congressman and son of a tractor salesman who has attacked udalls support of the Affordable Care act and close family political ties. Meanwhile, udall has accused gardner of being too far to the right, especially in his previous support for colorados personhood ballot measures, which declared that rights begin at conception. That ad was endorsed by udall, but may have backfired. At comes on to respect for women and their lives. Gardner sponsored a bill to make abortion a felony, including cases of rape and and championed and eightyear crusade to all our Birth Control in colorado. Mark udall protects our right to choose, our access to Birth Control. The ad was endorsed by senator udall, but might have backfired. To the surprise of many, cory gardner when the endorsement of the states biggest newspaper, the denver post. They previously endorsed mark udall, but shifted allegiances, saying he is running and up noxious oneissue campaign on abortion issues. Senator udall responded by saying it congressman gardner had not looked his political career on limiting womens reproductive choices we would not be having this discussion today. The closely contested senate race is widely viewed as a litmus test for if the colorado has shifted into the Democrat Column or remains a swingstate. President obama carried colorado in his two runs for the white house and republicans have not won a topoftheticket race here in a decade. However, democrats are now so concerned about udalls chances that obama has urged colorado voters to consider the race as important as the 2008 president ial battle. And, on monday, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton headlined a fundraiser for udall in denver and posed with him afterwards for a photo shoot. Meanwhile, colorado voters have been bombarded by political ads from both sides as outside groups have poured millions of dollars into the campaigns. According to the new york times, gardner raised 4. 5 million and reported 1. 4 million more in cash on hand than udall. The governors race between incumbent democrat John Hickenlooper and former republican congressman bob b eauprez is far tighter than many anticipated. We are joined by mike littwin. He is a veteran denver post Political Columnist who now writes for the Colorado Independent and elsewhere. Lets talk about the significance of the gardner mark udall contest. Colorado, sadly, has become a key bellwether case state. It is not a great place if you watch tv because every single minute of advertisement time in denver, colorado, is sold out. We have this added bonus of thoroughlyost advertised city in america, so, all of you suffering out there, it is worse here. The reason for this is that colorado is a state that does not easily fit into any one category, and it has become, sort of, a purple state because our state is divided almost equally among republicans, democrats, and unaffiliated. So, every race seems to be a tossup. Every race seems to be a two or threepoint difference. The democrats have had that advantage for 10 years now. So, talk about the gardner udall race. To me, it has been a depressing race because they have avoided so many of the important issues. You do not hear very much about immigration, minimum wage, paycheck equity. You do not hear a lot about what is going on in syria. Most of the races, as you were saying, is about Cory Gardners previous support of personhood, which he used to brag about supporting and passed out petitions in church. He is now supporting a national personhood bill. Lets talk about the Personhood Initiative on the November Ballot which would amend the state house of tuition stage of every pregnancy as a legal human being to define every stage of pregnancy as a legal human being. There were two previous attempts to pass a Personhood Initiative. Asked him, a reporter why he supports a personhood bill at the federal level. If you do not supported at the state level anymore, why do you keep your name on the life begins at conception level at the federal level. People that wrote that bill, congressman Duncan Hunter of california, paul broun of georgia, they say personhood usa says life begins with conception. When i announced with for the senate, that is when the outcry started. It is all politics. Facts are there is no federal personhood bill. There is no federal personhood bill. That was the Republican Senatorial candidate cory gardner being questioned. Eyesat you see before your is now what happened who do you believe, me or your lying eyes . Cory gardner said there is no federal personhood bill, one o course, there is a federal personhood bill. He is the cosponsor. This is a way to get around roe v wade. They think this would overturn roe v wade according to supporters. Cory gardner says it is not a personhood bill, it is just a statement of my belief that the bill is just a statement of his belief that he is prolife. This has allowed mark udall to continue on this path because not only have we got yes, we understood that cory gardner once supported personhood and now he does not of the state amendment, but why in the world is he still supporting it in congressman and that is the clinician in in congress, and that is the question. What what about the money pouring into the campaign. You talk about the 4. 5 million that cory gardner raised. All of the money is outside money, pouring in from left and right, and that is why you see every available Second Television ad time sold out. The campaigns the campaigns themselves, they udall and gardner campaign, they cannot spend all of their money. They do not know how to spend it. There is not enough room to spend it. They are taking their money this will be fascinating theyre taking their money and spending it on the ground game. Fourare spending three or is much. This is what the Democrat Hope is. Courtney garner cory gardner is running three points ahead of mike udall. Their getats believe out the vote is a bout a threepoint difference. So, if gardner is three points ahead in the polls, and democrats think they are three points ahead, that is a tie. Senator udall is a big oil and gas guy, but he is also, along with senator wyden of oregon, a major figure speaking out against the issue of surveillance in this country. Yes. Coloradol is old time environmentalist. He has climbed all of the 14ers s. The tallest 14 mountains. He has gone around the world. He is a rugged, outdoor guide. He got his outdoor guy. He looks like colorado. Cory gardner is from the Eastern Plains farming area, but he looks like he is i do not know, a dentist from connecticut. So, he does not have that same rugged colorado look at mark udall has. Gardner just did a commercial showing himself in the mountains and the denver post made fun of him. I want to go to the Climate Change issue. During a debate earlier this month, the moderator asked gardener to answer a question on Climate Change with a yes or no response. Lets go to that exchange. Do you believe humans are contributing significantly to Climate Change . Along time ago disagree in the sense there you have it, cory gardner not wanting to answer yes or no. The whole strategy is to vote right, appear moderate, and cory gardner is a very moderate looking person, and the hope is to capture the center in colorado by appearing to be more moderate than the vote indicates. The governors race, John Hickenlooper versus bob beauprez. This is a more oldfashioned race about the issues, colorado, and John Hickenlooper is touting the economy, which is finally pretty good in colorado, and has grown in John Hickenloopers career. On the other side, the issues afterb beauprez have been , the hook and aurora Democratic Legislature passed some very modest gun laws which led, as you may have heard, to the recall of two state senators and it has been a huge issue ever since. Then, in the death penalty, where hickenlooper ran as a prodeath penalty governor in 2010, but when it came to time to execute the first person in colorado in 20 years, he could not do it. He backed off and said this is not what government should do, and had a really toughness moment, epiphany moment, but governors republicans have said it was a flipflop and bob beauprez said one of the first things he will do will be to execute nathan dunlop. The congressional race is getting a lot of attention. The system district race started the sixth district race started off as a huge race because it is a close district. Became lessuse important, nobody thinks the house is going to swing one way or the other. People became less interested. What are they known for . He used to be speaker of the house in colorado, he is a mainstream liberal, and kaufman is a former marine, a conservative republican, who is the big on cutting money on defense department. We have to leave it there. To i very much for being with us, mike thank you very much for being with us, mike littwin. Democracy now is looking for feedback from people who appreciate the closed captioning. Email your comments to outreach democracynow. Org or mail them to democracy now p. O. Box 693 new york, ny 10013. [captioning made possible by democracy now ] im amy goodman, our website is democracynow. Org. Dundon ireland is an ancient land, steeped in traditions that stretch far back into the distant past. 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